06 LC 33
1236
House
Bill 1239
By:
Representatives Setzler of the
35th,
Keen of the
179th,
Thomas of the
55th,
Maxwell of the
17th,
May of the
111th,
and others
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to competencies and core curriculum for elementary
and secondary students under the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to require
annual instruction in certain grades in criminal law in Georgia as it relates to
school-aged children; to provide for legislative findings; to provide for a
minimum course of study established by the State Board of Education; to provide
for a manual; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for time frames;
to provide for construction; to provide for related matters; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Part
2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to competencies and core curriculum for elementary and
secondary students under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is amended by adding
at the end thereof a new Code section to read as follows:
∀20-2-148.
(a)
The General Assembly finds that society is changing and that our youth are more
frequently committing crimes of a serious nature. The General Assembly further
finds that young people who commit crimes are often unable to turn their lives
around into their adulthood resulting in unfavorable situations, such as prison.
The General Assembly further finds that our youth are the future of our state
and that it is in the best interests of the youth and of society as a whole to
discourage, to the greatest extent possible, criminal behavior of youth. The
General Assembly further finds that it would be beneficial to educate the youth
of this state on the repercussions of engaging in criminal behavior and the
devastating impact it can have on the life of the individual, on the
individuaĺs
family, and on society as a whole.
(b)
Each local board of education shall prescribe mandatory instruction in the
criminal law of Georgia as it relates to school-aged children for students in
grades six, eight, and ten. Such mandatory instruction shall include the minimum
course of study provided for in subsection (c) of this Code section or its
equivalent, as approved by the State Board of Education. Each local board of
education may supplement the exact approach of content areas of such minimum
course of study with such curriculum standards as it may deem
appropriate.
(c)
The State Board of Education shall prescribe a minimum course of study which
shall include the criminal code in Georgia as it affects minors, an emphasis on
sexual offenses and on crimes for which a minor can be charged with a felony and
tried as an adult, and potential criminal penalties for committing crimes. The
minimum course of study shall be included as a portion of an appropriate course,
as determined by the State Board of Education, and the instruction shall be
delivered in a classroom setting. The instruction required under this Code
section may not be delivered in an assembly-type setting. The minimum course of
study shall include an assessment on the material at the conclusion of the
instruction and the results of the assessment shall be included as a part of the
student́s
grade in the course. The state board shall establish minimum time requirements
for the course of study. Any changes made by the General Assembly to the
criminal code as it affects minors shall be included in a revised course of
study for the following school year.
(d)
A manual setting out the details of such course of study shall be prepared by or
approved by the State Board of Education in cooperation with the Attorney
General, and such expert advisers as they may choose.
(e)
The State Board of Education shall be authorized to promulgate rules and
regulations to implement the requirements of this Code section.
(f)
The minimum course of study to be prescribed by the State Board of Education
pursuant to subsection (c) of this Code section shall be ready for
implementation not later than July 1, 2007. Each local board shall implement
either such minimum course of study or its equivalent not later than December
31, 2007. Any local board of education which fails to comply with this
subsection shall not be eligible to receive any state funding under this article
until such minimum course of study or its equivalent has been
implemented.
(g)
In no way shall this Code section be construed to require any private school to
include any mandated
instruction.∀
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.